


Safe, Warm, and Beside Me

by TheMerryCaryler



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, Caryl fluff, Daryl and Carol - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-04 20:39:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18820303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMerryCaryler/pseuds/TheMerryCaryler
Summary: The love between Daryl and Carol is brought to the surface. Season 10 era. Fluff and implied smut.******This is how I envision their first kiss/canon moment.





	Safe, Warm, and Beside Me

Daryl, Carol and Lydia shuffled through the front door into their nice little house in Alexandria. It had snowed heavily overnight; extremely packable and perfect for constructing snowmen. Their fingers were numb, and their noses were wind stung. 

"I think I need warm peanut butter cookies and hot cocoa," Carol declared. "Who's in?"

"God yes," rejoiced Daryl. 

'God, I love her so much.' He thought to himself. He felt so lucky to have a woman so selfless and powerful and intelligent and so radiant. All of these things he wanted to tell her ran through his head simultaneously. 

"Yes please," Lydia answered politely. 

Carol and Lydia were growing closer by the day. They all had so much in common and shared so much unfortunate history, and had finally found a real family between the three of them.*****************

Later that night, Carol rolled out of bed and tied on her warm and plush dark blue robe. The cold and her usual nightmares had woken her and she decided it was close enough to sunrise to get up. Her dreams weren't as frequent as they used to be, but when they happened they were terrifying. She walked towards the stairs, set on lighting the fireplace when a door creaked open behind her.

"Where you going?" Daryl's sleepy voice came gravelly in the darkness. 

He didn't think she'd leave again, he trusted her when she said she was alright. However, there was still a part of him that would always fear losing her again.

"Just downstairs to light the fire. I'm freezing," Carol whispered. 

She didn't want him to see that she had been crying, so he could worry about her all day. He had enough on his plate as it was, leading this community and keeping it safe.

"Please turn around and look at me." Daryl urged.

He could see she was upset based solely on her posture. Carol hesitated before turning and setting her eyes on his. Her tears threatened to spill over, a sob caught in her throat. Daryl's heart shattered, and he wanted to weep with her, but he knew he had to be her safe harbor right now. The way she had been for him time and time again. He opened his arms and sighed, "Come here, Carol."

Her floodgates opened, tears spilling through as she padded back down the hall and collapsed into Daryl. She clutched the fabric on the back of his shirt and sobbed into his chest. He gently threaded his fingers through her silver curls, massaging her scalp. 

Daryl held her as her sobs racked her body, until she started to breathe more evenly. "Wanna come lay down in here?" He murmured. "You don't have to, if you don't want to." She took no time at all to nod her head yes. He lifted her a few inches off the ground, and carried her to his bed. 

Carol balled up under his covers, basking in his leftover heat. Daryl shut the door and walked back to the bed. "You gotta let me have some of the bed woman," he chuckled at her curled up in the middle. She scooched to the edge of the bed, giving him plenty of space. 

Daryl slid in under the covers, body stiff and eyes fixed on the ceiling. His heart was thudding in his chest, and he tried to steady his breathing. "Thought you were cold?" He managed to whisper, rolling to his side to look at her. 

She peered at him over her shoulder, tears still in her eyes but the worst of her storm over. He could tell she was starting to be herself again when she playfully cocked an eyebrow at him. 

"You wanna warm me up?" Carol quipped. 

Daryl blushed a little, but swallowed his anxiety. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to him. She gasped when his hot, calloused hand found it's way to her stomach and his thumb began to rub soothing pattens into the skin there. His other arm supported her neck, his fingers stroking her hair. As surprised as Carol was, she was pleased with his tenacity. As cold as she was, what he said next absolutely melted her.

"I ain't never wanted anything as much as I want to keep you warm, safe, and beside me." Daryl softly cupped her cheek, and turned her to look at him. "I love you Carol. I always have. Since the day I handed you that pick axe back at the quarry. I promised myself from that day on I'd try to be a better man for you."

Blinking back fresh tears and rolling to face him the rest of the way, Carol breathed, "I always hoped you'd say that." She brushed the hair out of his eyes, tangled her fingers in his hair and leaned in till their lips were almost touching. "Is this ok, Daryl?" She paused, a millimeter away. "We don't have to-"

He captured her lips with his, effectively silencing her. Carol sighed, her eyelashes and her heart fluttering. Daryl kissed her gentle and slow, but with a firmness that set off a fire within her. 

"I love you too, Daryl," she whispered, when they pulled away for air. He just gazed into her eyes with the same intensity and admiration he always looked at her with. Without a word, he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her forehead; drawing her to him in a tight hug after. 

"Pretty romantic," Daryl grumbled. He brought his mouth to her ear, slid his hand down her body and stopped where his fingertips just dipped below her waistband. "Screw around?


End file.
